Voigtlander spirit / bubble level

[Flyfisher Tom]

Does anyone have experience using one of these? I'm thinking of getting one to complement my wide-angles.

I understand you can look through 4 sides plus the eyepiece. What, however, are you viewing exactly? Is it a true 2 axis (x,y) bubble level or just one? How often do you use the eyepiece versus just viewing through the side slits?

It is also rather pricey relative to other generic 2-axis bubble levels (Hama, Bogen etc). Is it worth the extra expense in your experience? Thanks in advance.

 

[DoxLeica]

Hi Tom,
I've used a cheap plastic level for years. I still do. Plus, I have a simple round bubble level made for some hand tool or another. All I ever noticed was that the x,y orientation of the film plane (and, yup, film itself) and the shoe or (with that flat tool thing) top of the camera are off, so being too critical isn't all that necessary. Just look at how much "slop" there is to contend with. As the saying goes: "Perfect is the enemy of good enough." Don't forget to bring a small flashlight in dim surroundings however (like that nice fishin' hole!).

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Simple is good, I quite agree 🙂

But I must admit that the advertised ability to see from the viewfinder to the level without lowering the camera is appealing for street shots.

 

[Bertram2]

Does anyone have experience using one of these? I'm thinking of getting one to complement my wide-angles.

Tom,

I use one with the CV 25, mounted on a Bessa L. The level lets you control the on top VF and the 3d bubble in a circle at the same time. It has additionally two bubbles to observe without looking through the finder, for tripod use.

I bought it mainly because I could not get the forward or backward tilting of the camera under control. I got tired to correct the converging lines again and again in PS, always with a considerable loss, too often destroying the pic completely this way.

For 25 and all shorter lenses on a RF camera I consider this thingy to be a must if there are any straight verticals in the frame. IMHO another must is the rectangular hood, 25 and 21 tend to flare.

A fully equipped L ( NO VF window ?) with all the stuff on top and the hood mounted looks really extraordinary, provokes often this " WTF is this" face, mostly at folks of the younger generation with their DSLRs around the neck, one of the fab 8-400 zooms on it. 😛

Buy it, it improves the results also outside of urban environments. A really horizontal horizon is hard to achieve too with a wide lens. Especially if you have a frameless finder as I have. 🙄

bertram

 

[RML]

I use one with the CV 25, mounted on a Bessa L. The level lets you control the on top VF and the 3d bubble in a circle at the same time. It has additionally two bubbles to observe without looking through the finder, for tripod use.

I bought it mainly because I could not get the forward or backward tilting of the camera under control. I got tired to correct the converging lines again and again in PS, always with a considerable loss, too often destroying the pic completely this way.

For 25 and all shorter lenses on a RF camera I consider this thingy to be a must if there are any straight verticals in the frame. IMHO another must is the rectangular hood, 25 and 21 tend to flare.

I wouldn't even consider using a bubble level with my 25/4. Why? Because I don't need no st*nkin' level horizons! 🙂

If I had left the horizon horizontal, I wouldn't have been able to shoot shots like these:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3628&cat=3352

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3920&cat=3352

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3957&cat=3352

And for landscapes... well, I'd say use a tripod for that and you can get yourself a cheapo bubble level from the hardware store. But this is just my 0.02. 😀

 

[Kyle]

I wouldn't even consider using a bubble level with my 25/4. Why? Because I don't need no st*nkin' level horizons! 🙂

If I had left the horizon horizontal, I wouldn't have been able to shoot shots like these:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3628&cat=3352

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3920&cat=3352

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3957&cat=3352

And for landscapes... well, I'd say use a tripod for that and you can get yourself a cheapo bubble level from the hardware store. But this is just my 0.02. 😀

I saw your shots and thought, "Wow, those are great! I need to get the CV 25!" Then I remembered I have a 25 and I kinda felt dumb. 😀

Seriously, though... nice shots!

 

[RML]

I saw your shots and thought, "Wow, those are great! I need to get the CV 25!" Then I remembered I have a 25 and I kinda felt dumb. 😀

Seriously, though... nice shots!

ROTFLMAO! 😀

 

[Bertram2]

I wouldn't even consider using a bubble level with my 25/4. Why? Because I don't need no st*nkin' level horizons! 🙂

If I had left the horizon horizontal, I wouldn't have been able to shoot shots like these:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3628&cat=3352

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3920&cat=3352

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=3957&cat=3352

You don't need no stinking horizontal horizons, o.k., to each his own.
Seems you don't need parallel verticals either, as your photos prove.
I would not accept these strongly converging lines for my work. As long as they are not part of the conceptI or simply unavoidable I consider them as an attempt to make sloppiness beeing the creative concept.
Sorry to say so but to me this looks always a bit beginner-like, or caught with a P&S en passent and secretly at a place where shooting was forbidden ?

Just my personal approach to proper craft, but as I said, to each his own. 🙂

bertram

 

[RML]

To each is own, indeed. But there seem to be people, even at Magnum photos , who don't agree with you much. Paolo Pellegrin for example: http://www.magnumphotos.com/c/htm/FramerT.aspx?V=CDocT&E=2TYRYDD9A16U&DT=ALB . Or Josef Koudelka in his seminal work "Gypsies": http://www.magnumphotos.com/c/htm/F...tfolio_DocThumb&V=CDocT&E=2TYRYD1KHF54&DT=ALB . Winogrand also didn't really bother with horizontal horizons.

Hardly covert, sloppy P&S work. Sorry to disagree with you so vehemently but a straight horizon isn't the end-all-be-all of photography.

 

[Bertram2]

To each is own, indeed. But there seem to be people, even at Magnum photos , who don't agree with you much.

Hah, shall this really mean something to me ? 😀
It is me solely who decides what I like or what I do not like. If these guys handle their wides this way, o.k it is THEIR decison solely.Neither a reason to agree for me in general nor a reason for arty imitations.

And btw I never claimed that "straight horizon isn't the end-all-be-all of photography", I made clear rstrictions at this point, which you have overseen. Nothing is the end-all-be-all of photography, excepted a good result.
But throwing some basic rules overboard isn't creative per se either, it must be part of the concept if it shall work at all. I said all this already in my first answer.

bertram

 

[RML]

Sometimes the concept comes after the deed. I tend not to think about concepts but just shoot the shot. If that means tilting the horizon than that's what it means. But, yes, I am the one who decides. 🙂

 

[laptoprob]

I use the small hardware thing on the side of my 15mm finder. I added approx lines for 25mm on it. I only make use of it in portrait position and because of vertical lines if and only if I want them to be vertical.
This does not mean everything has to be vertical or horizontal ofcourse.

 

[biomed]

I have used the CV level for quite a while. I think it is essential for a lot of my wide angle shooting. It is easy to use as the bubble and surrounding circle is visible through the level's eyepiece (which is angled toward the viewfinder). It is only usable for horizontal framing. for vertical framing I use an old camera level that has three spirit levels in one plastic cube that mounts in the flash shoe. It is designed for use on a tripod mounted camera - the bubble cannot be seen when looking through the camera's viewfinder.

Mike

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Bertram & Biomed:

thanks for sharing your experiences, exactly the insights I was looking for. I've gone ahead and ordered one.

It will be useful during slower times when I can afford to wait and align the shot (as generally, I don't like converging lines in architectural shots). In more fast-paced street shots, I am happy to use Remy's method ;-) After all, a shot with converging lines, is better than no shot at all.

cheers

 

[Bertram2]

Bertram & Biomed:
thanks for sharing your experiences, exactly the insights I was looking for. I've gone ahead and ordered one.
It will be useful during slower times when I can afford to wait and align the shot
cheers

Exactly for that purpose it is thought and a serviceable thingy . NOT for the decisive moment tho 🙂 Even if you have learned to use it you need more than a second to adjust the camera with the bubble, rather 2 seconds. And then it can happen your crop is messed because the adjusted camera does not still catch "IT" properly. It is a quite slow tool.

Anticipation can help

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=18928&cat=5355

but it does not work always perfectly, as this photo proves. Saw the horse coming , got this pic in my mind, framed , adjusted and pressed the button when the horse appeared in he finder. In the very last moment I tilted the camera backwards anyway, aarrgh, so stuuuhhpid.... 🙂

bertram

 

[rxmd]

Hi RML,

do you shoot from the hip? How do you normally frame?

Maybe a bubble level that is viewable from above might be useful to some people. Then again, maybe not.

Philipp

 

[RML]

do you shoot from the hip? How do you normally frame?

Usually I don't shoot from the hip. For some shots I might as the situation might "ask" for it or because the angle might be interesting. Otherwise I just shoot with my eye to the vf. And I bend my legs often, going down to kids' level, or on my toes to get that extra reach over people's heads.

Maybe a bubble level that is viewable from above might be useful to some people. Then again, maybe not.

I can't say. My framing usually is in respect to the subject and the scene. I often care less for straight horizons. To me forcing yourself to shoot straight horizons seems a self-imposed obstacle, and I find shooting hard enough as it is. 🙂 But there are shots where I too re-level the horizon in PSP, especially when the subject is all about the horizon. But I doubt I could have done a straighter job with a bubble, knowing how much slack these things have.